Aromatic compounds, asymmetric oxidations

One 7i-bond of an aromatic ring can be converted to a cyclohexadiene 1,2-diol by reaction with enzymes associated with P. putida A variety of substituted aromatic compounds can be oxidized, including bromobenzene, chlorobenzene, " and toluene. In these latter cases, introduction of the hydroxyl groups generates a chiral molecule that can be used as a template for asymmetric syntheses. " ... 

The pioneering work of Gibson3 on the isolation and mutation of Pseudomonas strains that oxidatively degrade aromatic compounds has led, 25 years later, to the application of cyclohexadiene cis-diols in asymmetric synthesis. The first applications of these types of compounds to synthesis were the use of meso-diol derived from benzene for production of polyphenylene4 by ICI and in the synthesis of racemic... 

The use of 284-287 as well as other diol derivatives derived from functionalized aromatic compounds is clearly an important method for the preparation of molecules that can be used in asymmetric synthesis. This process provides an important source of diol starting materials that can be manipulated to form a variety of important natural products. This interesting oxidation leads to the functional group transform ... 

Water-soluble macromolecular metal complexes based on terminally functionalized ethylene oxides and ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymers have been used as catalysts for hydroformylation, hydrogenation, Wacker oxidation of imsaturated compounds, hydroxylation of aromatic compounds, oxidation of saturated and alkylaromatic hydrocarbons, metathesis, Heck reaction, and some asymmetric reactions. 

On the assumption of NO3 being the initial electrophile for the Kyodai nitration, the reaction of aromatic compounds with the ternary mixture of NO-NO -O is of special interest because the gas-phase oxidation of NO to NO is known to involve two isomeric unstable intermediates the asymmetric (O-N-O-O) and the symmetric [0-N(0)-0] NO3 [33] ... 

The ready availability of arylboronates by an aromatic C-H borylation provides a synthetic link to the well-established palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, rhodium-catalyzed 1,4-addition to a,p-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, and other bond forming reactions using arylboronic esters (Scheme 2.12). Borylation of 1,3-dichlorobenzene with pinacolborane is followed directly by a cross-coupling reaction with methyl p-bromobenzoate for the synthesis of a biaryl product in 91% yield [60]. Pinacol esters of arylboronic acids react much slower than the free acids [62], but both derivatives achieve high isolated yields and comparable enantioselectivities (91% ee) in asymmetric 1,4-addition to N-benzyl crotonamides [63]. Borylation of arenes followed by oxidation of the C-B bond is synthetically equivalent to an aromatic C-H oxidation to phenols [64]. Oxidation of the resulting arylboronates with Oxone in a 1 1 acetone-water solution is completed within 10 min at room temperature. 

A good number of reviews, perspectives, highlights, focus, and account of research were published in the period under review. The topics covered included nitfation of aromatic compounds, oxidation processes, Pd catalysis, oxidative coupling, asymmetric transfer hydrogenation, Sm-Barbier reaction, use of hypervalent I2, and Bayer-Villiger reaction. 

I.2. Oxidation of Amines Oxidation of primary amines is often viewed as a particularly convenient way to prepare hydroxylamines. However, their direct oxidation usually leads to complex mixtures containing nitroso and nitro compounds and oximes. However, oxidation to nitrones can be performed after their conversion into secondary amines or imines. Sometimes, oxidation of secondary amines rather than direct imine oxidation seems to provide a more useful and convenient way of producing nitrones. In many cases, imines are first reduced to secondary amines which are then treated with oxidants (26). This approach is used as a basis for a one-pot synthesis of asymmetrical acyclic nitrones starting from aromatic aldehydes (Scheme 2.5) (27a) and 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline-2-oxides (27b). 

Peroxidases have been used very frequently during the last ten years as biocatalysts in asymmetric synthesis. The transformation of a broad spectrum of substrates by these enzymes leads to valuable compounds for the asymmetric synthesis of natural products and biologically active molecules. Peroxidases catalyze regioselective hydroxylation of phenols and halogenation of olefins. Furthermore, they catalyze the epoxidation of olefins and the sulfoxidation of alkyl aryl sulfides in high enantioselectivities, as well as the asymmetric reduction of racemic hydroperoxides. The less selective oxidative coupHng of various phenols and aromatic amines by peroxidases provides a convenient access to dimeric, oligomeric and polymeric products for industrial applications. 

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